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Day 26 -or- My Vegan Alternatives Top 10 (part 2)

#6 Purely Decadent Ice Cream
This ice cream brand is made by the Turtle Mountain company and you can find it made with either soy or coconut milk. They have flavors like Cherry Amaretto, Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl, Mocha Almond Fudge, Cookie Dough, and Passionate Mango (plus about 2 dozen more). I’ve had the Cookie Dough and the Mocha Almond Fudge and both were amazing. These ice creams are nearly indistinguishable from the dairy-based version. Eat it straight from the carton or use it in smoothies! Turtle Mountain also makes vegan sorbet, ice cream bars, yogurt, and coffee creamer (see #7).
#7 SO Delicious Coconut Milk Coffee Creamer
Just because it’s made from coconut milk doesn’t mean it is coconut flavored. These coffee creamers are great and come in original, vanilla, and hazelnut. I’ve had both the vanilla and hazelnut and am very happy with them. Use them in coffee or tea or in recipes that call for creamer or heavy cream. If you’re used to buying the Coffee Mate, International Delights, or similar creamers, you will notice right away that the flavor of these isn’t nearly as strong. You won’t be hit with a strong flavor of hazelnut, for example. It’s very light and doesn’t taste artificial.
#8 Tofutti Cream Cheese
Just like their sour cream, the cream cheese is close to the real deal. I’ve used it to make cheesecake and key lime pie and it’s good spread over a warm, toasted bagel too.
#9 Tofurky Deli Slices
Whether you’re used to sliced chicken, turkey, or ham on your sandwiches, you’ll find a good replacement with the Tofurky brand. They have great taste and texture and come in many different varieties such as Oven Roasted, Hickory Smoked, Italian, and Roast Beef. The Hickory Smoked is my favorite and it is actually smoked, like real meat would be, in a smokehouse. It’s great on cold sandwiches for lunch or toasted with cheeze on bread (like a grilled ham and cheese).
#10 Better Than Bullion No Chicken Base
Superior Touch makes two really great vegan “bullion” bases–a chicken and a beef version. They come in small jars and are a bit like a paste. Mix one teaspoon with a cup of boiling water and you have instant broth for soups, sauces, and gravies. They have 1/3 less sodium than other bullions and are GMO free and fat free. I use the “No Chicken” version often and it has excellent flavor, so I’m sure the “No Beef” version would be just as good. They also make “No Chicken” broth that comes in cartons like vegetable broth. It IS vegetable broth, of course, but somehow tastes closer to chicken stock than regular veg broth.

2 thoughts on “Day 26 -or- My Vegan Alternatives Top 10 (part 2)”

I haven’t seen these products in any stores here except Whole Foods. Publix used to sell the vegan cream cheese and sour cream, but they no longer do. Just to give you an idea of how much these items run, here are estimated prices:

Again, I want to stress that the reason so many people think it’s more expensitve to be vegetarian/vegan is because they see prices for products like this. These products are all processed and should be enjoyed in moderation. If we keep whole foods at the forefront of our diet, we’ll save a lot money!